Tag Archives: fresh bread

Roasted eggplant. Roasted tomatos. Fresh mozzarella. Smothered in pesto and rosemary infused olive oil on focaccia bread. Not missing the meat as much as you thought, huh?

This recipe was adapted from a Rachel Ray recipe (I was unable to find it online- it’s from one of her cookbooks), but I added some of my own twists to it. The simplicity of ingredients and the ease of the recipe enticed me to make this easy weeknight meal. I wanted to share the recipe with you guys as well as my ideas for perfecting it.

Line two baking sheets with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Put 2 TBS olive oil in a pan and heat over low-medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes, crushed garlic, & rosemary and allow the flavors to infuse on low heat for about 5-7 minutes.

Arrange the sliced eggplant on one baking sheet and the sliced tomatoes on the other. Season both the eggplant and the tomato with salt and pepper on both sides. Set the baking sheet with the tomatoes aside.

Using a pastry brush or a spoon, lightly coat the eggplant slices with the infused olive oil on both sides.

Place the eggplant in the oven and allow to roast for 10-15 min minutes, until lightly brown and just beginning to shrivel. About half way into the cooking time, add the baking sheet with the sliced tomatoes. [Note: when I originally made this, I added the eggplant and the tomatoes at the same time and the tomatoes were overcooked, so I highly recommend separating them and baking them half way in]

7. While the vegetables roast, slice up the fresh mozzarella and cut the bread (if in loaf form). At this point feel free to toast the bread by sticking it in the hot oven or in a toaster, if this is your preference. We did not do this for the focaccia bread and wish we had.

8.Spread bread with a nice helping of prepared pesto. Remove vegetables from the oven, layer on the bread, top with fresh mozzarella slices, and enjoy!

This recipe was very tasty! Overall, I don’t think focaccia bread was the best choice- I think crusty rolls would have been more appropriate. Not to throw anyone under the bus here, but the focaccia bread was my boyfriend’s idea ;)

The original recipe involves making a pistachio pesto with arugula, and topping the sammy with more arugala. For times sake, we did not do this, but I do feel it could add a very interesting bite.

Also, I highly recommend more than just one layer of eggplant on the sandwich to make it more substantial. Feel free to add more roasted veggies, as desired. I think zucchini or roasted red peppers could add an interesting touch.

I am so proud of myself that for almost 2 months now I have been following meatless monday. It’s such a fun twist on meals that I feel good about.